Hyderabad: The National Task Force on strengthening the safety and security of healthcare personnel in medical institutions, on Saturday held a discussion on revamping the working conditions of health care personnel. From Telangana, Dr Nageswar Reddy, founder-director of AIG Hospitals and Dr Kiran Madhala, associate professor, Gandhi Medical College were invited.
Dr Madhala participated as the representative of All India Federation of Government Doctors Association (AIFGDA). His recommendations included ensuring pay scales equivalent to those provided by AIIMS with allowances and pensions, extra compensation for doctors in remote areas, provision of legal aid. He also suggested improvement in service conditions with a clear job chart, service rule amendments, sabbatical leave after five years, and restricting specialists to their field. Work patterns should shift to 12-hour shifts, maximum 48-hour workweeks, and increased staffing. Additional suggestions included health insurance, avenues for skill enhancement, uninterrupted lab services, data entry operators, and centralised work guidelines.
